Gas and oil separator



Au' 4, 1936. R: A. WERTS 2,049,578

GAS AND QILI SEPARATOR Filed Aug. 2'7, 1934 fi/yew r02 I Q/c/M20 14. Men;

Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

It is the principal object of the present invention therefore to provide a device adapted to be interposed in the line of flow of mixed fluids, such for example as oil and gas, and which fluids are to be separated as they flow without material retardation and without requiring, the use of any expensive or complicated separating mechanism.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a conduit through which mixed fluids may'flow, and within which suitable pressure and centrifugal action is set up and controlled to cause the two fluids to be separated and drawn off through separate conduits.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a view in plan showing the apparatus with which the present invention is concerned.

Fig, 2 is a view in side elevation showing the apparatus with which the present invention is concerned.

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation showing the oil and gas separator as seen at the valve end.

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section through the structure as seen on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and indicates the manner in which the oil and gas operation 1s brought about.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, l indicates a reservoir structure which comprises parallel reservoir elements II and i2 connected adjacent their opposite ends by connecting compartments l3 and It. The forward ends of these members are closed. The opposite ends of the members. are provided with removable cover plates l5 and i6 respectively. These plates also afford mounting lugs l6 which receive the swinging arms ll of floats l8, one of which is disposed within each of the reservoir elements Ii and I2. Domes l9 are disposed in the upper walls of these reservoir elements above the floats to allow clearance, and downwardly extending bowls 20 are formed in the lower wall of each of the reservoir elements to provide a sand trap. A bleeder valve 2| is disposed in the bottom of each bowl so that this may be opened to allow the material entrapped therein to be drained out. The swinging float arms H in the reservoir element II is pivotally connected to a lever shaft 22 to which a link 23 is pivotally secured. The op- 5 posite end of this link is pivotally secured to, a lever 24 mounted upon a.valve structure 25 by which the outflow of oil is controlled. The valve structure 25 is connected with one tubular leg 26 of a T-shaped pipe fitting 21. The other tubular leg 28 of the pipe fitting 21 carries a valve structure 29 fitted with a valve lever 30. This lever is connected to a link 3| pivotally secured at its opposite end to a lever 32 of float pivot shaft 33. The float pivot shaft 33 is connected with the float lever ll of the float element I8 which is positionedwithin the reservoir compartment l2. It will thus be seen that as the floats it are affected by the level of accumulated liquid within the reservoir elements II and I2, go they will operate the valves and 29 to control the outflow of liquid so that the liquid level will remain constant at all times, and so that it will normally stand above the level of the outlet or pipe 34 to which the T-shaped pipe 21 is con- 25 nected. Mounted above the reservoir structure ill and in communication with the reservoir elements II and I2 is a centrifugal separator coil 35. This coil has an induction connection 36 at one end, and an eduction connection 31 at its opposite end. The coil is in the form of a helix and its longitudinal axis lies in the central vertical plane of the reservoir structure It. The convolutions of the coil are connected through outlet pipes 38 and 39 with the reservoir elements ll and I2 respectively, as shown particularly in Fig.

4 of the drawing. These outlet pipes communicate through the outer wall of the coil 35 so that the heavier material which would naturally move toward this outer wall during the travel of the 40 mixed fluids through the coil would have a tendency to pass into the pipes 38 and 39, and to be drawn off and separated from such lighter materials as were flowing through the apparatus. In order to insure that the heavier material will be diverted into outlet pipes 38 and 39 baflle members 40 and M are erected within the coils and extend part way across the path of flow to form an obstruction for the heavier material and to cause this material to flow into the outlet pipes from which the liquid will drain into the reservoir elements It and i 2. The configuration of the pipes 38 and 39 may be so made as to readily divert the flow of heavy fluids from the coil and it is preferable that these pipes be so arranged that the direction of flow through them will be substantially tangent to the outer circumferential wall of the coils.

For convenience in moving the separator from place to place skid runners 46 and 41 are disposed beneath the reservoir structure to provide a supporting base.

In operation of the present invention fluid is caused to flow into the separating coil 35 through the induction connection 38. This may be brought about at any desired rate of circulation and under any particular pressure. It will be obvious that the pressure may vary under diflferent conditions, and that as a result the velocity flow of the fluids through the pipes will correspondingly vary. It will also be understood that particularly when oil and gas are the fluids to be separated conditions will vary so that the proportion of gas to oil will be difierent. These variable conditions require that the structure shall be maintained under a suitable uniform pressure, and that the liquid may flow ofl from the separator at a rate which will maintain such-uniform pressure. In order to establish proper operating conditions and to control them, the T-pipe fitting 21 has been provided, the outer ends of which are equipped with the valves 25 and 29, and beyond which valves cut oil valves 42 and 43 are installed, so that either or both of the connections 28 or 28 may be opened to permit flow therethrough. The floats I8 are so adjusted within the structure as to maintain a constant level of liquid within the reservoir compartments II and I2, and to insure that these liquid levels will be maintained irrespective of variation in volume of oil passing throughthe device. The oil and gas will flow along the convolutions of the helical coil 35 and due to the centrifugal action set up in the flowing fluids the heavier fluids, such for example, as the liquid oil, tend to travel along the outside race of the coil and will thus encounter the openings of outlet ports 34 and 39 and deflecting members- 40 and 4|. These liquids will then drain into the reservoir compartments II and I2 where the level of accumulated liquid will be maintained constant by the floats l8. In the event that the proportion of liquid to gas is relatively small, one of the cut oil valves 42 or 43 may be closed, thus insuring the maintenance of a proper level of accumulated liquid within the reservoir structure l0, and a constant pressure or the fluids within the reservoir structure and the coil 35 at all times.

It will thus be seen that the structure here disclosed, while simple in construction, and having relatively few operating parts, provides an oil and gas separator which may be readily interposed in a line of flow of mixed oil and gas, and which will automatically and continuously, regardless of volume and velocity of flow, act to separate the liquids from the gases with which they are mixed.

While I have shown the preferred form 01' my invention, as now known to me, it will be understoodthat various changes may be made in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention'as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A liquid gas separator comprising a helical passageway through which mixed liquids and gases may pass under pressure and in unrestricted flow, a liquid reservoir disposm parallel to the direction of travel of said fluids through the helical passageway, passageways establishing communication between the helical passageway and said reservoir through the outer walls of the convolutions of said passageway whereby the fluids traveling along and adjacent to said outer walls 5 will be diverted into said liquid reservoir and the uniform fluid pressure will be maintained in the helical passageway and the reservoir, and means for restricting the out flow of liquid from said reservoir to maintain said pressure.

2. A liquid and gas separator comprising a helical passageway through which mixed liquids and gases may pass under pressure and in unrestricted flow, a liquid reservoir disposed parallel to the direction of travel of said fluids through the helical passageway, passageways establishing communication between the helical passageway and said reservoir through the outer walls of the convolutions of said passageway whereby the fluids traveling along and adjacent to said outer walls will be diverted into said liquid reservoir, means for restricting the out flow of liquid from said reservoir to maintain a predetermined fluid pressure therein, and means for automatically maintaining the liquid within the reservoir at a 2 desired contant level.

3. A gas and oil separator comprising a tubular conduit through which mixed gases and liquids have an unrestricted pressure flow, said conduit being in the form of a. helix, a passageway through 30 the outer wall of each convolution of said tubular conduit whereby the liquids separated from the gases within the conduit by centrifugal action will be drawn ofi from the gases in the conduit, a reservoir. with which said passageways cormnuni- 35 cate whereby a uniform fluid pressure will prevail throughout the conduit and said reservoir, an outlet valve for the liquid accumulated within said reservoir, and float means for automatically operating said valve to simultaneously maintain a determined quantity of liquid within said reservoir and a constant fluid pressure within the reservoir and conduit.

4. A gas and oil separator comprising a tubular conduit through which mixed gases and liquids have an unrestricted flow, said conduit being in the form oi! a helix, passageways connected through the outer wall of each convolution 01 said tubular conduit whereby the liquids separated from the gases within the conduit by centriiugal action will be drawn of! from the gases in the conduit, a reservoir with which said passageways communicate and arestricted outlet from said reservoir, and a float valve actuated by the accumulated liquid within the reservoir to control the same.

5. A gas and oil separator comprising a helical conduit through which mixed gases and oils may flow under pressure, said conduit being disposed with its longitudinal axis substantially horizontal, 60 a closed reservoir beneath said conduit and having passageways separately communicating with the individual convolutions of the coil whereby uniform pressure will prevail throughout the coil and reservoir and whereby the liquids separated from the gases in their flow through the coil will drain into the reservoir, a valved outlet for controlling the flow of liquids from the reservoir, a float within the reservoir, operative means between the float and valved outlet to maintain the liquid at a constant level and the space above the liquid within the reservoir at a constant volume whereby uniform liquid pressure may be maintained throughout the apparatus.

RICHARD A. WERTS. 

